End-gate.



R. M. STURDEVANT.

' END GATE.

APPLICATION FILED nn0.2,191o.

1,020,726. Patented Mar. 19,1912.

Fig-1- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RILEY M. STURDEVANT, OF FALLS CITY, NEBRASKA.

END-GATE.

Application filed December 2, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RILEY M. Srunnn- VANT, a citizen of the United States. residing at Falls City, in the county of Richardson and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in End-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in end gates, and has particular reference to an improved form of end gate for farm or like wagons which can be readily removed.

The leading object of the invention is the provision of an end gate having improved means for securing the same in position and which can be readily removed from the wagon when it is desired to unload the same, and which will obviate the time and labor generally expended in prying up the ordinary form of gate with its vertical trackways.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an end gate which may be readily applied to the ordinary form of wagon with but slight alteration thereof, and which will do away with the difliculties now occasioned by the employment of the guideways on the wagon sides.

To attain the desired objects, my invention comprises a wagon gate having one end adapted to be engaged in a guideway on the side of the wagon and provided with a locking member on the other end for engaging the other side of the wagon, the invention further residing in the novel features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts for service substantially as hereinafter described.

Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the rear port-ion of the wagon body with my gate in position, and, Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of the wagon with the gate in position.

In the drawings, in which similar characters of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts in the several views, the numeral 1 designates the rear axle, having the wheels 2 mounted thereon, while supported on the axle is the wagon body consisting of the bottom 3, the sides 1 and the end gate 5. To secure the sides in proper relation with respect to each other, I employ the strut or brace rod 6 bearing on its ends the securing nuts 7.

Secured to one of the sides of the wagon are the strips 8 providing therebetween the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912. Serial No. 595,297.

guideway 9 for engaging one end of the gate, while in specially constructed wagons as shown, I secure to the other side of the wagon the angle plate 10, whose angle or flange portion 11 serves as an abutment to limit the forward movement of the other end of the gate, although it will be understood that an ordinary wagon may be adapted for use with my improved gate by remov- .ing the rear strip 8 on one side.

Mounted on the face of the gate 5 is the metal bar 12 having the offset portions 13 providing bearings for the arms 14, said arms being united at their inner ends by the outwardly bent loop or handle portion 15. The bracing strip 16 on the end of the gate has an outwardly projecting flange 17 in which are formed openings 18 which receive and serve as guides for the arms 14, while the wagon side has the sockets 19 adapted to receive the ends of said arms which thus serve to lock'this end of the gate securely in position, while the other end is retained in the guideway 9.

To cause the gate to lock automatically when placed in position, I mount on the arms 14 intermediate the bar 12 and flange 17 the coil springs 20, one end of said springs bearing against the washers 21 which in turn bear on the bar, while the other end of the springs bear against the abutment pins 22 carried by the arms and serve to force said arms outward.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings the construction and operation of my improved gate will be readily understood and its advantages be fully appreciated, and it will be seen that I have provided a gate which needs to be merely engaged in the guideway at one end and then swung inward against the abut-- ment on the other side, when in position the arms automatically looking it in place, and the gate preferably having a beveled end 23 to facilitate said swinging movement. To release the gate I press inward on the loop 15 which withdraws the arms and allows the gate to be swung outward, the load in the wagon by its pressure against the gate aiding said movement, while a handle 24 may be provided to aid in moving the gate. It will further be observed that with my improved construction it is absolutely impossible for the gate to be jolted loose and lost as sometimes occurs with the gates now in common use when the wagon is empty, and

that my gate also prevents the losing of any of the contents of the wagon on account of a slight upward creeping of the gate, while my gate is strong, durable, practical and efficient and entirely fulfils the objects of this invention in a highly satisfactory manner.

I claim: j

1. The end gate herein shown and described, consisting in combination with the Wagon body, having the cleats to receive one end of the gate and the angle plate to receive the other end of the gate, said angle plate having openings, of the end gate fitting between the cleats and against the angle plate, the guide strips secured to the end gate, the yoke having its closed end fitting in one of the strips and its pair of arms passing through the other strip and adapted to enter the openings of the angle plate to secure the end gate, a handle formed on the yoke, springs around the arms of the yoke, and a handle on the end gate.

2. In an end gate, the combination with the wagon body having the vertical cleats on one side and the vertical angle plate on the other side provided with openings in one wall thereof, of the end gate having one end fitting in the said cleat and the other end abutting against the angle plate, the guide strips secured to the end gate and having openings in line with the openings of the angle plate, the yoke having its arms passing through the openings of the guide strips and engaging the openings of angle plate and having its closed end bent outward to form a handle, coiled springs on the arms of the yoke and washers and pins against which the springs bear.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

RILEY M. STURDEVANT.

Witnesses:

BURT J. WRIGHT, R0131. G. l/VRIGI-IT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

